Rethink Your Drink

Calories and sugar can sneak up on you when you drink them instead of eat them. Beverages sweetened with sugar do not provide nutritional value. They are made of simple carbohydrates, which breakdown in your body very quickly. This results in you not feeling full. Your body does not realize you have consumed calories. So after consuming a sugar-sweetened beverage, you would tend to eat like you normally do, which can lead to weight gain. For someone who has diabetes, it is very important to watch your carbohydrate intake. Some sugar-sweetened beverages have the equivalent carbohydrate grams of what is recommended for an entire meal. Yikes! Here is a list of popular sugar sweetened beverages:

1. Make your own smoothie using milk, fresh fruit and ice. Try to keep your portion to 8 ounces or less.

2. Add some fresh fruit and herbs to your water. Place fresh fruit and herbs in a large pitcher of water, and give the water time to absorb the flavor. Get creative. You can always add a splash of soda water to replace the taste of soda pop. Some tasty combinations are:

Lemon + Lavender

Ginger + Lime

Lemon + Cucumber + Mint

Lemon + Blueberry

Orange + Pineapple

3. Instead of drinking a glass of juice, add 1-2 ounces of juice to your cup of water for a flavorful taste. This gives the beverage flavor without the full serving of calories and sugar.

4. Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, such as 1% or skim.

5. Skip or cut back on cream and sugar in coffee, or drink tea instead.